Spiritual Ponderings - Tough Issues (Immigration - January 14, 2018

As we dive deeper into the issue of illegal immigration and how to reform the system, I would like to present to you today the Catholic Church’s five point program. I think you will discover that there are many things you will agree with and many things that you will find challenging. This is to be expected though because we Christians are called to move from our earthly mindsets and to think in more Christ like way. (Quotes from the Bishop Program will be in bold and my commentary will be in normal font).

1. Earned Legalization: An earned legalization program would allow foreign nationals of good moral character who are living in the United States to apply to adjust their status to obtain lawful permanent residence. Such a program would create an eventual path to citizenship, requiring applicants to complete and pass background checks, pay a fine, and establish eligibility for resident status to participate in the program. Such a program would help stabilize the workforce, promote family unity, and bring a large population "out of the shadows," as members of their communities. The first step is for us, according to the Bishops (our modern day apostles), to treat those who are already in this country as brothers and sisters in Christ and thus make it easier for them to correct their status and to reunite their families.

2. Future Worker Program: A worker program to permit foreign‐born workers to enter the country safely and legally would help reduce illegal immigration and the loss of life in the American desert. Any program should include workplace protections, living wage levels, safeguards against the displacement of U.S. workers, and family unity. The second step is to create a fair worker program that would help American employers get the workers they need (study migrant farm workers to understand the need better) and would help prevent immigrants from being taken advantage of by others.

3. Family‐based Immigration Reform: It currently takes years for family members to be reunited through the family‐based legal immigration system. This leads to family breakdown and, in some cases, illegal immigration. Changes in family‐based immigration should be made to increase the number of family visas available and reduce family reunification waiting times. Major effort should go into keeping families together. St. John Paul II’s quote about the family summarizes the importance the Catholic Church puts on families. “As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.”

4. Restoration of Due Process Rights: Due process rights taken away by the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) should be restored. For example, the three and ten year bars to reentry should be eliminated. Our rights as Catholics depend more on the fact that we were born human and in the image and likeness of God then on where we were born. All human beings deserve the right to justice.

5. Addressing Root Causes: Congress should examine the root causes of migration, such as under‐development and poverty in sending countries, and seek long‐term solutions. The antidote to the problem of illegal immigration is sustainable economic development in sending countries. In an ideal world, migration should be driven by choice, not necessity. The ultimate solution to the problem of illegal immigration is for all of us to realize that we are a part of a larger world and that we are called to love all our brothers and sisters to the best of our abilities. People should never be forced to move for economic reasons or because of political/religious persecution.

*Enforcement: The U.S. Catholic Bishops accept the legitimate role of the U.S. government in intercepting unauthorized migrants who attempt to travel to the United States. The Bishops also believe that by increasing lawful means for migrants to enter, live, and work in the United States, law enforcement will be better able to focus upon those who truly threaten public safety: drug and human traffickers, smugglers, and would‐be terrorists. Any enforcement measures must be targeted, proportional, and humane.